Forty years ago I took a detour from the mainstream procedure to solving health problems and began investigating and applying a nutritional plan instead.
I own and operate my own health food store and share my discoveries and observations with my customers.
Please examine my real life anecdotes and see if any of them "fit." I trust that this information will do more than entertain you.

I have someone else that I’d like you to meet. Her name is Cheryl.

A while back, Cheryl’s brother-in-law, Bruce, asked me if I would try to help her.
He was hopeful that I might be able to because I had previously helped him.
He was a diabetic whose symptoms were getting increasingly worse even though he was taking insulin.
He accepted suggestions and began eating differently. Along with the dietary adjustment, he included several supplements.
There was a dramatic change for the better in his health. Included in the change was a substantial lowering of his blood sugar.
He was so impressed with his own success that he was hopeful that we could make some suggestions that might help Cheryl.

He had told me that she had had rheumatoid arthritis since she was very young.

Arthritis affects nearly 40 million Americans, resulting in pain and joint inflammation and degeneration - inflammation (rheumatic) and degeneration (osteoarthritis).
A similar nutritional and supplemental program appears to be helpful in either case. Rheumatoid arthritis is categorized as an auto-immune disease.

Many doctors caution against using anything that will strengthen the immune system which they feel will in turn attack the body.
However, there are those doctors who take the opposite direction.
They believe that auto-immunity is the result of a weakened immune system that needs to be bolstered.
My personal ovservations for the past 40 years have supported the latter premise.

Cheryl, now in her 30’s, was becoming more and more incapacitated.
For one thing, she could no longer wear anything but soft slippers on her feet.
Also she had run the gamut of prescrived medications - aspirin, cortisone, prednisone, gold - and now was being persuaded to start a new medication which SHE SAID could possibly contribute to eventual blindness.

Bruce was very upset about this possibility.
However, the pain was so excruciating that Cheryl said, "I’m the one in pain.
I’ll do anything to stop it." He begged her to at least LISTEN to an optional point of view.
She agreed. She came in on a Wednesday morning (in her slippers).

I had gone over my notes from my friend Dr. Getlen and was prepared to share his recommendations with her, as I had with so many others.
The first thing I said to her was, "I’m sure that you are a sweet and/or starch eater."

She said, "That’s all I eat." She told me that she would try anything.
Dr. Getlen was adamant about starting this program by drastically reducing carbohydrates.
I explained to her that just as starch (rice, beans, pasta, bread, etc.) stiffens a shirt collar, it can also stiffen your joints.
(Remember as a child how you made glue out of flour and water?)

The nightshade plants - eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc. - are also notorious for inflaming the joints.
(At the end of the summer when my customers are indulging themselves with the fruitage of their own or their neighbor’s garden - big juicy tomatoes - their joint pain flourishes.)

Orange juice, grapefruit juice, any citrus appears to create the same symptoms - joint pains.
Apples, peaches, or pears seem to be the least offensive fruits.

I encouraged her, as Dr. Getlen did me "to start - not even an oyster cracker "

She agreed to keep her diet simple - chicken, fish, trukey, lamb or veal; vegetavles, eggs, salad, herbal teas, and lots of water.
Eat as much as you want of the foods that won’t exacerbate your problem.

I asked her to please invest at least 30 days in her new adventure.
We both agreed that she could put off her investment in possibly going blind for at least a month.
Bruce was tickled pink.

I must say that she started on quite a number of supplements.
To begin with, not everyone can afford that, and of course, insurance won’t pay for it.
You could take fewer things to begin your program; it just makes the healing process slower.
The major thing though, is TO CHANGE YOUR FOOD.
STOP POISONING YOURSELF. I deliberately mentioned that she came in on Wednesday morning so that you can get the impact of this account.
I see it over and over, but it still puts me in awe.
That following Saturday afternoon, Cheryl, wearing SNEAKERS, came into my store with her husband.
He appeared agitated. "What did you do to my wife? She’s not in pain "

The reason for his agitation?
"All these years my wife has been in terrible agony, never mind how much money it’s cost us for medical treatment and drugs.
Why didn’t anyone who was treating her tell us this? I’m going to take out a full page ad in the "Hartford Courant"

I said, "Please don’t waste energy being angry. Just be glad your wife is getting better. Then you two can possibly help someone else.
The good thing about using nutrients is that they heal, and most of the side effects are good for even other things.
They don’t just treat symptoms.
They get to the root of the problem."

Interestingly, Cheryl’s boss came in about a week later and said, "I’ve worked with Cheryl for 10 years.
I can’t believe what I see.
Can you heal me?" I said, "No, I can’t. I can only help you to help yourself."

Cheryl just kept getting better and better.
She doesn’t take anywhere near the number of supplements she started with.
She said for her it’s mostly about not eating the wrong foods.

I talked to Bruce about a week ago. He said Cheryl’s doing fine.
That’s the fruitage of MY job.
I love to hear those words: "So-and-so is doing fine "

Hmmmmmmm. How nice.

Take what you want from this account.
I’m not a doctor, and I’m not prescribing.
I’m just sharing this personal experience and my point of view.

Thanks for your company,
Janet Barre’

**Publisher’s Note: Janet is a published author.
Her book YOU BETTER NOT CRY, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Janet owns and operates the World of Nutrition On Market Square in Newington, CT 06111.

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